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body positivity

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We're used to seeing those 'motivational' before and after body shots plastered all over Instagram, promoting the ideal that thinner is better and that being a certain shape will make you happier.

Emily Bador, who battled with her body to maintain a typically model-esque physique, has since embraced a healthier lifestyle and is challenging this concept with a snap of her own, but her post has a difference.

The stunning model posts powerful body positivity posts on the regular, but her latest 'before and after' style post is particularly harrowing. 

 

A post shared by e m i l y bador (@darth_bador) on

'2 years, 2/3 dress sizes up and about 5/6 inches different waist measurements. and you know what? I'm finally, FINALLY content with my body,' she began.

'I don't have panic attacks pre leaving the house anymore, I eat whatever I want and I don't feel guilty after, and i'm not in the gym every f****** day.'

'It's not the body you see idolised in the media, but I've never felt so confident.'

'Your mental health is so important, don't let society tell you that you need to look a certain way to feel beautiful, you are absolute fire and it's not worth compromising your physical or mental heath to fit society's bullshit Eurocentric beauty standards.'

 

A post shared by e m i l y bador (@darth_bador) on

'When I took the photo on the left I was on holiday in Croatia, too light headed to go out with my mates because I refused to eat carbs, I refused to drink booze because of the calories and spent all week inside because I felt too horrific to do anything,' she said, reflecting on the damaging process she put her body and mind through to stay so slim.  

'And the photo on the right I leave my house every day, work so f******* hard, I go to the gym twice/three times a week, eat carbs, enjoy everything and don't feel awful about myself?'

'I don't really know what my conclusion was gonna be other than just remember you look f****** bomb no matter what, and as long as you feel good about yourself and you take care of your physical and mental health that's all that matters,' she concluded.

All we can say is thank you Emily, for reminding us that our mental health should be our top priority, and that all bodies are completely and utterly beautiful.

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It's easy for us to think that people in great physical shape have no reason to be insecure about their bodies, but as we know, this is not necessarily true.

We all have our insecurities, but whether or not we choose to admit that is a different story.

Victoria D'Ariano, a bodybuilder and mental health advocate, knows this struggle all too well.

There's no doubt that Victoria is in top physical condition, but just like everyone else, there are parts of her body she wishes she could change.

She has cellulite, or “butt dimples” as she likes to call it, and recently took to Instagram to pen a hilarious open letter to her biggest insecurity.

 

A post shared by victoriadariano (@victoriadariano) on

“Dear Butt Dimple,

I remember the first day you appeared. I was 15 years old. Since then you have had a hugely negative impact on my life. Since then you have made me feel less about myself. You not only made me feel fat, but also unworthy. You have always had an impact on what I chose to wear. I would avoid certain bikinis, and even some of my favorite leggings. I would never feel confident in a bikini because I thought everyone was staring at you. I would never wear my favorite leggings because again I always thought people were starting at you. Long shirts were my go-to as it was a way I could cover you up and have a moment of peace within my mind as no one would be judging you.

I remember endless hours of looking at you in the mirror, squeezing you and wondering why I had you. I remember crying of embarrassment as other girls I was friends with didn’t have you. I would exercise extra hard in hopes you would go away. I would eat better also in hopes you would go away. I even considered cellulite treatments so you would finally just go away. You never did, you still haven’t. You took a lot of joy away from me, you caused a lot of stress for me, you made me insecure and took away my confidence. I could never feel in shape as you were always there.

I am writing you today to tell you I have finally stopped letting you win. You will no longer make me feel unworthy, not good enough or not in shape because of you. I will no longer be afraid to wear certain bathing suits or leggings because of you. I will no longer hide you. You are what you are and I have finally come to peace with that. I have finally accepted you.

When I reflect back on this I realize how stupid it is to have let something this superficial have an impact on my life but it did. I am happy that I have been able to overcome this and I hope if you have a similar struggle you can realize that you too can and will. Don’t let things of such insignificance ever take away your happiness.”

 

A post shared by victoriadariano (@victoriadariano) on

The post has since gone viral with many of Victoria's 283,000 followers thanking her for her honesty.  

One user wrote: "Omg I have the same thing and I've hated it for years. I still hate it sooo thank you for posting this."

This isn't the first time Victoria has adressed the topic. Just last month the bodybuilder shared this photo with her followers:  

 

Dis my butt, dis also my butt. The difference? One is posed with a good angle and in good lighting, the other isn't posed and in different lighting. On the left you'd think I have smooth skin and no cellulite. The right you can see that I have some bumps and in fact do have cellulite. . I'm posting this because the other day someone messaged me and said they were having a bad body-image day. She was trying on bikinis and all she could see was cellulite and a muffin-top. Well let me make a few things clear. Almost everyone I know, myself included has some kind of cellulite… change room lighting makes EVERYTHING show on my butt… like the most cellulite. AND if I wear low-rise bikini bottoms I also have a muffin-top! Want to know what all of this makes me? And makes you? A WOMAN. That's is, that's all. Whatever idea you have for yourself and this "image" you think you need to look like. Throw that shit out. Own those curves, own that cellulite, embrace that beautiful and simply womanly body!

A post shared by victoriadariano (@victoriadariano) on

Victoria is living proof that not matter how other people see us, our insecurities will continue to exist – we've just got to learn to embrace them. 

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It's amazing to see women sharing body positive snaps of their societally deemed flaws to inspire other women to feel good about themselves, but when a celebrity does it, the message can reach so far. 

Little Mix star Perrie Edwards has taken to Instagram to share a very unique image, showcasing the scar she carries down her abdomen. 

 

A post shared by Perrie Edwards  (@perrieedwards) on

The scar came from a childhood operation that Perrie underwent.

'When I was little, my oesophagus was too small, so I had to get it operated on to help me eat properly,’ Perrie previously told Now.

‘I had to have lots of operations, so that’s why I don’t want to show it.'

The singer has inspired women and girls across the globe to embrace their scars with the new post.

She has received a huge amount of praise for the post, and we have to say, it's well deserved. 

Fans have been taking to Twitter in their droves to thank the star for giving them the confidence to embrace their own scars. 

'HUGE THANK YOU PERRIE @LittleMix for making me comfortable enough to show off my scar on my stomach,' said one.

'I'm so tired of seeing people slut shame little mix for showing some skin when in reality they're inspiring younger girls. This is amazing,' said another. 

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Meet, Tia Duffy, the Dublin model making waves in fashion industry for her #BeBodyAware campaign.

Hailing from Dublin, Tia now lives in Toronto, Canada, where she works as a plus-sized model.

Tia is committed to embracing and celebrating diversity in the world of fashion, and in a recent interview with Vouge Italia, she spoke about why she decided to start the project.

"I was told I was too big by casting directors and sometimes I was too small," she said.

"I noticed a niche for a project that brought education, psychology, diversity and fashion together. A project that would really challenge change through action, imagery and video."

"The launch of #BeBodyAware was to bring about a global psychological awareness and conversation of body image, ones own body and the images we are subject to in the media everyday. I just want everyone to be represented."

The project has caught the eye of some high-profile celebrities including, Kim Kardashian and Ashton Kutcher, who shared the campaign with millions of followers on Facebook.

As part of the initiative, Tia is directing a 50 photoshoot series with the aim of changing the images we see in the media.

"I want to reimagine fashion and recreate the images that we have been witnessing on billboards for decades."

In addition, the model is also collaborating on 50 runway shows in an effort to bring diversity to fashion shows around the world.

In the future Tia hopes to expand #BeBodyAware to TV and podcasts, as well as working closely with schools in order to integrate workshops into curriculums world wide.  

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Have you ever gone shopping and found that despite your body not changing dramatically over the space of the day, your size is varying from store to store?

There has been a lot of debate in the body positivity community about clothing sizes, which anyone who has been clothes shopping on the high street can see is inconsistent. 

As someone who is a size 12, I've found that in some stores I usually slot into a size medium, while in others I can't squeeze my bum into the XL.

And then magically in a third store a size 10 dress zips up comfortably. I mean really, what's that all about? 

Body confidence coach Michelle Elman has taken to Instagram to prove that sometimes, the size on the label really doesn't mean a damn thing, in the hopes of helping women realise that that a numeric tag really isn't something we should be paying too much notice to at all.

'I found a dress in my cupboard the other day that I had since I was in sixth form. The dress is a size 14. I bought it 5 years ago when I was a size 12. Now, I'm a size 20. And yet, I still fit it,' she captioned the powerful post.

'Which just proves that NUMBERS DON'T MEAN ANYTHING. So are you really going to let a change a dress size dictate your day? Are you really going to let an increase in a number affect your mood?'

 

A post shared by Michelle Elman (@scarrednotscared) on

'Same dress. Still comfortable. Still beautiful. (In fact, I think I look better and happier now!) A higher dress size doesn't mean: – you are less beautiful – you are less worthy – you are less lovable – you are a worse human – you are a bad person – you are a different person AND it doesn't even mean you have a bigger body,' she continued.

'You could go up a dress size by simply changing stores… (or countries). You can change dress sizes because of the time of the day or simply due to whether you are on your period or not.'

'If you look at your cupboard and you find it harder and harder to find something to wear because of a change in clothing size, I have a great solution for you… throw out all clothes that don't fit.'

 

A post shared by Michelle Elman (@scarrednotscared) on

'Looking at your wardrobe shouldn't be something that makes you feel insecure and sad so make sure everything in your wardrobe fits!'

'Numbers don't matter. Not the number on the back of your jeans, on the scale or even the number in your bank account. You are not a number.'

So if you don't fit into the size you feel is most reflective of your body, never fear. Think of your 'size' as more of guideline than a hard rule, because beating yourself up over something so inconsistent truly isn't worth it. 

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Who decided that having a gap between you thighs was thing to strive for?

Our hips and thighs and the strongest and often largest part of our bodies, so why on earth are we made to believe they should be as small as possible?

Body positivity blogger, Kenzie Brenna, wants us to turn that 'ideal' on it's head and is encouraging women everywhere  to embrace their 'mermaid thighs'.

The Canadian blogger has had enough of women stressing over whether or not the top of their legs touch and recently took to Instagram to post a series of pictures of herself addressed the issue.

 

(Gasp I know multiple posts within just a few hours, hi hello ) For today's #selflovebootcamp we explore the topic of the dreaded thigh gap. These posts still get to me! Even after a year on this journey. But, here we go YOU DONT NEED NEGATIVE SPACE TO BE VALUED I'm so grateful that last year I came across @nourishandeat and @bodyposipanda because I DID have that goal, I wanted to take up less space in the world and I wanted to be thin in the right spots and "phat" in the right spots. Turns out my body isn't made out of plastic parts and I couldn't transfer fat from my thighs to my boobs or ass (at least not w out a lot of money and time ) I didn't know #mermaidthighs could be celebrated because I never ever saw that shit being embraced until I SEARCHED FOR IT. Guess what! You're allowed to take up space in the world, you're allowed to have knocked knees and big thighs. You're allowed to gain weight. You're allowed to not just have weight gain in the "acceptable" places. You're allowed to not fit into the status quo and still feel fly as fuck. You make the rules Happy Monday my fellow babes. #thunderthighs #bigthighsbighearts #endbodyshame #mybodymyrules #ilovemyself #evenwhenitshard

A post shared by K E N Z I E B R E N N A (@omgkenzieee) on

''I wanted to take up less space in the world and I wanted to be thin in the right spots and "phat" in the right spots.''

''Turns out my body isn't made out of plastic parts and I couldn't transfer fat from my thighs to my boobs or ass.''

‘Guess what! You’re allowed to take up space in the world, you’re allowed to have knocked knees and big thighs. You’re allowed to gain weight. You’re allowed to not just have weight gain in the “acceptable” places.

‘You’re allowed to fit into the status quo and still feel fly as f*ck.’

Yaaas! We couldn't agree more Kenzie. 
 

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This week, yet another instance of mindless body policing occurred which left the mind baffled by the sheer nonsense that is fatphobia.

A recent phenomena that has been sweeping the internet this week is the concept of 'romphims,' a male version of a playsuit. 

Commenting on the development, one Twitter user decided to say that people weighing over 170lbs, or 12 stone, should not be wearing playsuits. 

Last we checked, style didn't have a weight limit, so the attempted trolling obviously caused a little bit of controversy on the social media site. 

The troll did have a few who agreed with him, but most of the viral Twitter thread is now filled with snaps of gorgeous people donning playsuits with pride, weighing 170lbs or more.

Most posts are accompanied by captions like 'lol no' and 'you were saying?,' with responses supporting their choice to wear whatever they want. 

The original troll eventually relented, saying that he had been originally talking about male rompers and that it was a joke, but it was too little, too late. 

While the post may have originally been a joke, it does serve as a reminder that larger people are often encouraged not to participate in fashion, be it through made-up rules dictating what they can or can't wear, or through the limited availability of achingly on-trend plus size fashion options. 

While the plus size style industry has improved greatly over the past few years, these little Twitter posts continue to shame plus size women into feeling like they cannot wear what they want for fear of being judged.

So despite this all starting out as a joke, each snap of a confident, comfortable and stylish woman in a playsuit despite being 'over 170lbs' is a mini victory for the concept of body positivity. 

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Body positivity has come along leaps and bounds in recent years, and Instagram is a complete hot bed of positive, feel good affirmations that remind us to love the skin we are in. 

One body-pos poster is Hannah Foster, who has taken to the social media sharing site to give her followers a before and after snapshot like no other.

The image shows Hannah at two different weights, but says that she is now happier being heavier, and explains why. 

 

A post shared by Hannah (@lavidahannah) on

'Transformations aren't always what they seem. Pic on the right is after losing almost 100 pounds in 2012,' she began, captioning the before and after shot. 

'It was one of the first times I had ever allowed anyone to take a picture of me in a bikini (and only because it was my first time swimming in the ocean).'

'The girl on the left hated herself vastly more than the girl on the right, even though she weighed 30 pounds less than right-girl.'

 

A post shared by Hannah (@lavidahannah) on

'She was in a nasty relationship, living abroad and lonely, and despite losing weight STILL HATED HER BODY. Losing weight won't make you love yourself…' she explained. 

'Pic on the right is after 25 years of realising that losing 5 pounds won't make me a better person, it won't make me like myself, and most importantly it won't make me happy.'

'I go to the gym, I eat healthy, but it's not for weight loss; it's because I only get one body and I want to use it as long as possible.'

 

A post shared by Hannah (@lavidahannah) on

'Eating 800 calories a day isn't taking care of your body, even if it makes you skinny. (Eating that little is part of what made gain weight, I was starving my body.)'.

We can totally get behind this message, because at the end of the day it really, really isn't what the scale says that matters. 

Feature image: Instagram / lavidahannah

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There have been some seriously powerful and positives statements made in the body positive community lately, with women stepping forward and speaking out about the harsh ways that society polices women's beauty standards.

Now, one plus size model has spoken out about the issue of shapewear. 

KhrystyAna posted a series of images of the red ridges and circulation issues her body has endured from shapewear, which perfectly punctuate her mission statement about the garments. 

'Oh how we love our shapers, our tight jeans, bras that obsessively embrace us so much to only suffocate our natural form,' she said.

'Oh why woman, why? I can't go a day without seeing an ad of these new body shaping suits, because apparently small waist, thick butt and large DD's are what we should ALL look like. The ads that literally tell you "Self hate is cool, wear this, this makes you look hot an appealing to the masses because you aren't, for only $24.99!".'

'Woman, oh how we love a little pain here and there, waxing, tweezing, tanning/burning, bleaching, scrubbing… that's fine. Nothing against what we want, but tell me woman, is that what you really truly want? Or you are sold to want it?'

'Tell me woman, is your body not the most magnificent fascinating universe that could use your compassion? Do you real want to stop your blood circulation now with those tight shapers to become media's dream?… on one of the images see my BLUE legs, poor babies from wearing a shaper for few hours.'

'How do you like the reality of impeded blood circulation, infertility, digestive problems, nerve damage and more. Yes these images of me today are terrifying to many of you, especially that scar (I have them on both feet), from wearing VERY SEXY high heels. I bled.. and now this scar but BOY, MY FEET LOOKED SEXY THAT ONE DAY!'

'Sure, wear your shapers, heels, I love them all too, that short term comfort for a long term discomfort…just please take the responsibility of what your poor lovely body will potentially experience. I ask for awareness only. Not asking for too much. Mental and physical health..health is a beauty.'

The body positivity activist has also spoken out about airbrushing, cellulite, and the effects of our perception of beauty on our mental health.

While wearing those granny panties can be a comfort thing as much as a slimming thing under that new dress, these types of statements are important to keep in mind for the sake of our self esteem.

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We don't usually get to see things like stretch marks or cellulite on the perfectly airbrushed Instagram feeds of image-conscious influencers and celebrities, which is why body positive accounts like the one run by Kenzie Brenna are so important.

Kenzie has committed her Instagram page to being one of celebration of all body types, and a place where the negative thoughts about our bodies are exposed. 

The self love promoter recently posted a snap to her Instagram showcasing her stomach stretch marks, and had some words of wisdom to share about them. 

 

A post shared by Kenzie Brenna (@omgkenzieee) on

'Does this affect the quality of who I am? No,' she captioned the post.

'Would it make you a better person if you got rid of these marks? No.'

'Would it make you kinder, more generous and a better lover if you had the money to erase them? No.'

'Then you're perfect. I don't feel perfect.That's cause perfect isn't a feeling.'

 

A post shared by Kenzie Brenna (@omgkenzieee) on

The YouTuber has posted a number of Instagram snaps celebrating her body and the bodies of other women, and has called out the double standards of sizeism and body shame numerous times.

'I love how people see me in full clothes and comment on how 'skinny' I look in them in comparison to these types of photos where the comments I get 'you're so brave. (Which I am) But, bravery requires an act of courage.'

'Courage isn't a characteristic we find in ourselves unless we are doing something out of strength, where the odds are stacked against us.'

 

A post shared by Kenzie Brenna (@omgkenzieee) on

'You don't tell a Victoria's Secret model that "they're so brave" for showing off their body or someone who is sculpted from a type of athleticism.'

'Bravery requires an acknowledgement of fear, possibility of loss, where chances of failure are high,' she said. 

Posts like Kenzie's on social media are so necessary and important to remind us that flaws are in fact beautiful, and the things that we perceive as a negative don't actually affect who we are or the value of ourselves as women. 

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The body positivity movement has come on leaps and bounds, even in hard-to-change industries like fashion and beauty.

Fashion has become more size-inclusive, and body positive models have come forward to describe the pressures of conforming to the rigid industry standards.

One model who knows the difficulties of clothes shopping is Emily Bador, who battled with her body to maintain a typically model-esque physique, and has since embraced a healthier lifestyle. 

 

A post shared by e m i l y bador (@darth_bador) on

"Wanted to get this off my chest for ages, but can we talk about how scary buying clothes is for one sec? Like no one talks about this?" she said, posting a mirror selfie to her 94,6000 Instagram followers.

"I do get that for a lot of people their weight is a big issue but personally I've never been afraid of my weight or my measurements really, because to me it kinda feels arbitrary?"

"But clothing sizes TERRIFY me. I always used to battle to get in to the smallest size possible because it made me feel good about myself, I would literally rejoice and feel on top of the world if I could fit into an XXS or UK4 (when actually they were tight as fuck and hella uncomfortable)."

 

A post shared by e m i l y bador (@darth_bador) on

She went on to describe it as being "like, if i could compare myself to other people, and be smaller, it made me feel good about myself?"

"No one talks about their weight really and most people don't know their measurements, so clothing sizes were such an easy way to compare my self to others. clothes shopping would honestly give me panic attacks, changing rooms were my worst nightmare and the fact that no size was the same in any shop sent me off the wall."

"I'm finally coming to terms with the fact, i will never ever again fit into a UK 6 (US 4?), or an XS and I shouldn't berate my self for that. My body is always gonna fluctuate and change, and i no longer base my worth on what fucking clothing size i fit into."

 

A post shared by e m i l y bador (@darth_bador) on

Emily is right not to base her body confidence on a label inside her jeans, and this reminder to feel comfortable no matter what that size is is an important message of positivity.

You could be a size 12 in one shop but need a 14 in another, and then somehow fit into that size 8 top in another. 

Sizing is inconsistent, but your body confidence shouldn't be. 

Oh, and while we have you; don't forget to have your say in the inaugural SHEmazing Awards this May! It's time to vote, and you can do it right here!

 

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Things like cellulite, stretch marks and so-called imperfections aren't often the first thing we see when we open a magazine.

However, that doesn't mean that models don't have these socially constructed flaws, it just means that they haven't chosen to showcase them in the pages of a fashion spread or in that perfectly lit Instagram bikini photo.

One model who is proud to show off her figure, cellulite be damned, is Charli Howard, who has shown off her dimples in a new post to promote her #AllWomanProject, which encourages women to embrace themselves.  

 

A post shared by Charli Howard (@charlihoward) on

"They, say do something each day that scares you, so re-posting this is mine for the day. Despite the fact I speed walk everywhere, squat, run and occasionally do @pure_barre, I'm still left with cellulite," she captioned the intimate image. 

"I went to an all-girls' boarding school and really used to envy the girls in my class who seemingly had none, and whose bodies looked, to me, nothing less than perfect." 

"Whenever I opened magazines, the models and celebrities I saw didn't have cellulite either – and if they did, they were shamed in the tabloids because of it, or knocked off their perch by nasty journalists who probably have it themselves. (Note: fuck you.)"

 

A post shared by @curvy.be on

"As a result, I felt like my cellulite was shameful, or an oddity. It wasn't until I got older and saw other women's bodies that I realised HOW BLOODY NATURAL IT IS.  It's nothing to be ashamed of. "

"Your boyfriend isn't gonna care if you have it, and if he does, dump him for his mate. Just kidding (or am I?)."

"Don't get me wrong – my cellulite isn't my favourite part of my body, nor is it something I shout from the rooftops about. But I know it doesn't make me any less ugly, or is something I need to feel embarrassed about."

 

A post shared by Charli Howard (@charlihoward) on

"So don't let it make you feel that way, either! In the words of my old pal Kendrick Lamar, 'Show me something natural like ass with some stretch marks."

Charli has previously spoken out about the intense body constraints applied to women in the fashion industry, after she penned an open letter to the industry in 2015 after being told to lose an inch off her hips despite already being slim. 

“My mental and physical health is of more importance than a number on a scale, however much you wish to emphasise this,” she wrote.

Hear, hear!

 

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